Google Chrome 68 Update

Chrome Marking Every HTTP Site As Insecure

Since last year, Chrome started to mark some sites using HTTP (as opposed to HTTPS) as insecure, with their newest update ALL sites using HTTP will be marked as insecure, informing all Chrome users if their personal data is at risk of being read.

What Is The Difference Between HTTP And HTTPS?

Data sent in HyperText Transfer Protocol means if someone is able to intercept the page you are on, they can read all the data in clear text form. This is obviously a huge issue when making payments and entering personal details. HTTPS however, means that if the data is intercepted, it can’t be read without an encryption key, therefore your personal details are secure.

Blocking Re-directs

Chrome’s other security feature in the new update is to minimise the amount of pop ups taking users to an unwanted new site. Chrome will now give users the option to either continue to the pop up site (usually unwanted) or to stay where they are.

What Sites Don’t Use HTTPS?

We’d like to think the majority of well known and most used sites are secure, especially ones we enter and save our payment details on, but unfortunately this is not the case. Hopefully with Chrome’s new update people will see these sites and be aware of the risks.

Here are some of the most used websites that are still not secure, how many of these do you use daily? List Of HTTP Sites

What’s Next?

Starting in October 2018, Chrome will change the current black and white “insecure” tab on HTTP sites to flash red when users start to enter any data that could risk being intercepted and clearly read. This will hopefully make users more aware of when they’re using an insecure site, compared to presently where you have to have some knowledge to identify and understand the insecure tab.

Chrome is definitely headed in the right direction to make our browsing safer, giving us more awareness and more control.